The Impossible
by Seething Pyro
Summary: Hermione and Draco end up working in the same bookstore the summer before 7th year. What will become of the time spent together?
1. Comfort In The Arms Of A Dragon

Chapter 1-Comfort in the Arms of a Dragon

She laid in her bed, finishing up her summer homework. True, it was only two weeks into vacation, but as always, she liked to be ahead on her work and studies. Anyway, she was thinking about getting a job this summer to keep her occupied, since she had nothing better to do anyway. There was a small city outside of Diagon Alley that she had heard of that had some nice coffee shops and book stores that she might just find a job opening at.

She ran a hand through her bushy brown hair as she closed her last book and placed it neatly upon her shelf next to all those from the previous years. A sigh happy sigh escaped her lips as she recognized a tiny owl approaching her window. It was Ron's owl, Pig. She opened her window and allowed it to enter her room. It zoomed around wildly after it dropped the letter into her hands. She opened it and read:

_Dear Hermione,_

_How's your summer going? I was wondering if you wanted to spend the rest of vacation at the Burrow with Harry and me since we are graduating after this year and all and it's our last summer together. I know Mum and Dad would love to have you. Harry and I will be waiting for your reply. And Ginny says hi. Hey, look, that rhymes. Oh well. Just send your response back with Pig._

_Love,_

_Ron_

Hermione smiled and quickly wrote a response. Of course she would spend her last summer at the burrow with her two best friends. Once she had fed and sent the feisty owl out of her room, she headed downstairs to tell her parents that she was going to spend the summer at the Burrow.

Jane and Harold Granger knew how important it was for Hermione to spend the summer before her seventh year at Hogwarts with her two best friends, so naturally they consented and told her to pack her things. For the rest of the day, all she could do was smile. She really did have a great life.

Draco Malfoy sat at his desk quickly going through his homework. He hated putting things like that off until the last minute. From down the hall he could hear the moans and screams of his parents as they were "coming together" as they liked to call it. It made him sick listening to it. Couldn't they at least put a Silencing Charm around the room or something? He shuddered as he finished the last of his Transfigurations homework.

After placing his book neatly on his bookshelf, he opened the door to his balcony and looked up into the starry night sky. It really was a nice night for a broom ride. He grabbed his new Nimbus 2004 and kicked off. Immediately, the wind began whipping across his pale face and blowing his silver-blonde locks out of his eyes. His silver eyes shined like the stars as he looked down to the streets below.

For Draco, these nighttime rides were release. This was beauty. This was freedom. The world from above was so much more pure than the world from the ground. True, he loved his position on Earth. He loved being a pureblood. And he loved knowing that once he was out of school he would take his place in the Dark Lord's inner circle, beside his father.

Everyone knew who he was. He laid it all out for everyone to see-a cruel, evil, little bastard, who would do anything to get his way. Some people thought it was a façade, that he was hiding something. The truth is that's the way he always had been and that was the way he liked it. The thing that really annoyed him though was when people assumed that his father bribed Dumbledore to make him Prefect or to get onto the Slytherin Quidditch team. Those things he did on his own. He was in fact, quite smart, and was an excellent flyer. Acting came along with the package, but that was a Malfoy trait. Malfoys get what they want when they want it. Draco lived and breathed that rule since the day he was born and it was not something he was likely to forget anytime soon.

When he returned to his room, the house was quiet. He breathed a sigh of relief and flopped down on his bed. It was going to be a long summer if he didn't have anything to do, so he thought about getting a job. Knockturn Alley was always a possibility, but he didn't know if his father wanted him to have that reputation already. Longhorn City maybe. That was right off of Diagon Alley and there were plenty of coffee shops and bookstores there. He was sure he could find something.

Hermione had found a job at a small bookstore/coffee shop right in the center of Longhorn City called the Flowing Fountain. Some days she worked in the bookstore and others in the coffee shop. It all depended on where they needed help, so she was never really bored. There was always someone in the store to talk to and she always seemed to find herself wrapped up in an intellectual conversation with someone or other.

Harry and Ron thought that she should be spending more time at the Burrow with them, but they didn't get on her case about it because they understood that she wanted to get some financial stability before she went out into the real world.

After about three days working there, she had just finished ringing out a book for a nice old witch, when she saw a familiar face walk through the door. It was not, however, one she hoped to see until she was back in Hogwarts. He walked straight up to the counter.

"Got any job applications, Mudblood?" he inquired.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy, I cannot be of service to you if you are going to be your typical, rude self. I have much more important things to do," she replied sweetly with a smile.

He became quite irritated with her aloof response, but decided to play along with her game. "Okay then, let me start over, if you will. Good morning, Miss Granger. May I please have a job application?"

She chuckled to herself and waved her hand in a circle. An application suddenly appeared before Draco along with a quill and a bottle of ink. "Now, that wasn't so hard. Kindly step aside and fill that out, so that I can get to the next customer. Thank you!"

Draco rolled his eyes and moved over two steps, so that he was out of the way, but could hear what Hermione was saying to the customers who were making their purchases. The application was longer than he had expected. It asked him about what his parents did for a living and how his grades in school were and if he had taken any illegal substances. It was like an interview on paper.

Once he was finished, it asked him to sign his name and then look in the box on the next page for further instruction. He turned the page and saw in gold ink:

_**Accepted! Please hand in your form to Miss Granger and have her point you to the office.**_

Not surprised by the magical form, he asked Hermione where the back office was. "Well, what you do is, you go through the first book case and make a right then a quick left then go straight for two book cases and turn left make the next right and go right again after the row of books on how to cook your father's big toe. After that you'll see a sign for the loo and then there should be a sign for an office, but that's not the office you're looking for…" She began to laugh at the blank expression on his face. "Just joking, Malfoy. All you have to do is go upstairs and it's the first door on the right."

"Not funny, Granger," he mumbled.

"Maybe not. But your face sure was."

"Shove off." With that he turned on his heel and headed up the stairs to the office.

Hermione shook her head. "Next."

A tiny old witch came up to the counter with a big spell book in hand. "Is that your boyfriend, deary?"

"Malfoy! No way! He and I have been enemies since the day we met. He's never liked me and I've never liked him. That's the way it has to be," she explained simply as she rang up the book.

"The way it has to be? I'm not quite sure I understand," the witch said.

"Well you see, he comes from a highly distinguished pureblood family and I'm Muggle born. That's 4 Galleons."

As the witch fished through her bag she said, "That's quite a shame, you two seem like you would make a rather cute couple." She handed Hermione the four coins. "Snakes may not be trustworthy, but you can always find comfort in the arms of dragon."

Hermione was perplexed by what the witch had said, but before she could respond the she had disapparated. All Hermione could do was sigh and put the Galleons in the magical drawer. Now she would have to work with Malfoy all summer. There was really no escaping that slime ball.

Draco came down the stairs about twenty minutes later and hopped over the counter to stand beside Hermione. She glared at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Well the man upstairs told me that you've only been working here for three days, but he also told me that you already know what you're doing better than anybody else, so he told me to be your shadow for a couple of days until I get the hang of things."

She sighed and looked upwards, hoping that this wasn't happening to her. "First of all, Malfoy, no jumping over the counter. You open it and walk through just like everybody else. Second of all, if you are going to shadow me, then I expect you to listen to me and not make fun of my heritage. Third, you are not just going to stand there. I am going to make you help me. Got it?"

"Fuck, Granger, no need to get so nasty about it."

"And no swearing inside the store. There are little children in here and they do not have to hear your potty mouth all day."

Draco couldn't help himself, he started laughing and he couldn't stop. Hermione was so glad there were no customers at the time. "What, pray tell, is so funny?"

"Potty mouth, Granger? That's a good one." He was still laughing.

Hermione smiled sheepishly. She hadn't really thought about it at the time when she said it, but now it did sound quite juvenile. Draco looked at her then stopped laughing. He had let his guard down in front of the one person he had always tried to remain stoic in front of. Now what would she think of him.

"You know I've never really seen you smile," she admitted a bit nervously.

He shrugged. "Not many people have. It's not something I like to do. It shows people that I'm weak."

Hermione was now very perplexed. "How does a smile show that you are weak?"

"Malfoys don't smile." The tone in which he spoke made the whole thing very final, so Hermione didn't dare push him any farther.

She was glad when a customer walked up to the counter. It was a young man with light brown hair and a screaming baby in his arms. Hermione smiled sweetly to. "Hello, sir. Rough day?" she asked as she took the books from his other hand.

"How'd ya know?" he replied jokingly.

"Woman's wisdom. Will this be all today?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Okay. That will be 7 Galleons please."

He shuffled around in his pockets while she placed his books carefully into a bag. Once he had found his coins, he handed them to her and she handed him the bag. "Have a nice day," she said.

"You too."

She placed the coins into the magical drawer as he disapparated out of the building.

Draco just looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"What is it now, Malfoy?"

"Do you talk to all of the customers that come over here? I mean honestly. Must you be so _nice _to everyone?"

"Malfoy, this is a customer service job. That means you have to have a relationship with the people who walk in and out of here. You cannot blow them off like they are one of those morons you hang out with in school. These are real people who have jobs and families. You need to treat them with respect. Or is that too difficult for you to understand?"

"No, Ms. High and Mighty, it's not. I will try to work on my public relation skills for you if you'd like."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just take the next customer, Malfoy."

Draco saw who the next person was. "It would be my pleasure."

A young with long, black hair and amber eyes walked up to the counter. She had pale skin and a slim waist. Her chest was large and her robes didn't cover much of her body.

"How may I help you?" Draco asked pleasantly with a smirk pulling at his lips.

She just glared at him and placed her book on the counter. Draco glared at Hermione and she just shrugged, grinning wildly.

"Will this be all?" he asked.

"Yup," she said shortly.

"That's two galleons." She handed him the coins and he handed her the book in a bag and watched as she disapparated.

Hermione was laughing by now and Draco was glaring at her. "What in the hell was that all about!" he demanded.

"Oh, nothing. She goes for girls, that's all." The horrified look on Draco's face was priceless. Hermione wished she'd had a camera for that particular moment in time.

"You are such a-a-a WITCH!"

"I'm glad you finally noticed."

After showing him how to lock up, Hermione disapparated back to the Burrow while Draco went back to the Malfoy Manor. Both were thinking about how they were going to make it through the summer working next to the other the whole time.


	2. Changes

Chapter 2- Changes

The Burrow was brewing with excitement when Hermione arrived. How could it have slipped her mind? It was July 31; Harry's birthday. Hermione ran up to her best friend and gave him a big hug.

"Happy birthday, Harry!" she said cheerfully.

"Thanks, 'Mione," he replied, hugging her tightly.

Once he released her, she told him that his gift was in her room and she'd get it for him later. He assured her that it was no big deal and that she didn't even need to get him anything, but she insisted that she meet him upstairs before he went to bed, so he agreed.

All the Weasleys were there except Percy. No one even dared mention his name anymore. It was like he had never even existed and everyone seemed content that way.

Everyone made their way out to the backyard for a nice game of Quidditch. Hermione wasn't a huge fan of the sport, but she went out to be a spectator nonetheless. They all begged her to play, but she refused, saying that she would much prefer to watch. None of them knew the real reason why she wouldn't play. She was actually terrified of heights. When she was five, she had fallen out of a tree and ever since then had been scared to take her feet off the ground.

The game was actually quite boring, Hermione decided as she lay on the green grass and stared dismally up into the blue sky. What had been up with Malfoy earlier? He had actually seemed like a person for once. Perhaps he wasn't all that bad, she mused, but in the middle of her thoughts, she screeched and rolled out of the way of a misguided bludger. She would never understand that game. To her, it was just another attempt at suicide. And if there was one thing that Hermione Granger didn't believe in, it was suicide. She thought it incredibly stupid and selfish.

"Oi, 'Mione! Sorry about that!" Fred called down to her as he swooped down, chasing after the stray bludger.

After a while, they all called it quits and headed inside for Harry's cake. And after cake it was bedtime.

Hermione headed down to Harry and Ron's room with a wrapped gift. It was pretty small, so Harry wasn't sure what to expect, since he usually received a book. He looked at her apprehensively before he tore away the paper carefully. It was a navy blue jewelry box. He slowly opened up the box and inside was a delicate silver necklace with a snitch charm with fluttering wings. Both Harry and Ron were stunned by this elegant gift.

"Wow," was all Harry could say. He stared at it open mouthed then looked up at her.

"So do you like it?" she asked slowly.

He gave her a big hug and said, "Of course I do. I love it! Where did you get the money to pay for it? Surely it was expensive."

"Oh, Harry, don't worry about it. I bought it for you because you're my best friend and I knew you would appreciate it. What I paid for it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you like it."

Harry nodded then hooked the necklace around his neck. The little wings fluttered almost happily.

Hermione grinned. "Well boys, I'm headed to bed. I will see you both tomorrow morning." They both gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and she headed up to the room she shared with Ginny.

When Draco got home, he immediately called for a house elf to bring some food up to his room. The house elf bowed deeply the scuttled away, only to return two minutes later with a tray of food.

He flicked his wand and soothing, classical music filled the entire room. No one knew, but Draco was very into classical music. It relaxed him when he was tense and it always cleared his mind. To him, there was nothing in the world like it-except for maybe a good fuck now and then.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, he heard a sound from somewhere in his house, and he knew that his father was home a drunk again. It was a normal routine now. Lucius Malfoy went out to some random bar at night, drank for hours and came back home swearing at and breaking everything in his way. The house elves always fixed everything, but to Draco it all seemed so futile, since it would just happen again the next night.

The door to his room burst open, and without even looking, Draco drawled, "What now, Father? Do you need to use the loo? It's down the hall, if you've forgotten."

Rage was etched into the older Malfoy's face. "You dare talk to me like that, boy? I'll show you! I'll show you!" he shouted.

"Show me what? All that you've been capable of showing me the last few months is how drunk and stupid you can get. And I'll tell ya, you're pretty fucking drunk right now, so why don't you get the hell outta here and leave me the fuck alone for once in your pitiful life?"

Lucius' face contorted with unsuppressed rage. No one, especially not his only son, talked to him like that, whether he was drunk or not. After a bit of stumbling, he managed to pull out his wand and point it at his son. Draco looked quite bored, as if the whole thing had been rehearsed over and over again, which in some sense, it had been.

"Father, put it away. We both know what is going to happen," Draco commented, eyeing the older man wearily. "You're going to keep that thing pointed at me, trying to think of the correct incantation, which you will not find tonight. So if you please, save us both the trouble because I need to wake up early tomorrow to go to work. Thanks."

To both their surprise, Lucius tucked his wand away and stumbled out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Draco sighed and lay back on his pillows. Ever since his father had been released from Azkaban, he had never been the same. It was as if he were a child sometimes. Draco hated having to be the responsible one in the house, since neither of his parents seemed capable of it lately. Lucius had obviously lost his job at the Ministry of Magic due to his position in the Dark Lord's Inner Circle. His mother didn't do all that much either except sit in the drawing room drinking wine and hoping to whoever would listen that her husband would quit his drinking and try to get his life back. Then at night they'd go into their bedroom and fuck for all hours. All in all, it was an incredibly depressing place to be lately.

As Draco sat, staring at the ceiling, he thought about how the Malfoy name was starting to lose all respect and credibility in the wizarding world. It would be up to him to restore that and keep up his esteemed bloodline.

After about a week of working together, Hermione and Draco discovered that the other wasn't as bad as they had previously thought. Draco did actually have an intellectual side, which rather pleased Hermione. And Hermione had an amazing sense of humor, which was something Draco never thought she'd have. He had always pictured her to be uptight and prissy about everything.

Finally it was about closing on Saturday night of that first week, and both Draco and Hermione had off on Sunday. As they were straightening everything out, Draco asked Hermione something that had rather surprised her, and she didn't know if he was being serious or not.

They were cleaning tables and straightening chairs. Out of the blue, Draco said, "So, wanna come visit me at the Manor tomorrow sometime, just to hang out and talk and whatnot?"

Hermione stopped running the cloth over the dirty table. Her deep brown eyes, wide with shock looked up to see Draco working diligently at the table next to her. His silvery-blonde hair was falling into his eyes, and he didn't see the shocked look she was sending him at that moment.

"I—well I'm not sure. When—why are you asking me over? Won't your father be angry to see me? After all, he hates—_Mudbloods_," she responded tentatively.

Finally Draco diverted his gaze from the table to Hermione. "Whatever, it's your call," he replied nonchalantly.

After a moment's pondering, she started slowly, "It's not that I don't want to. I do, in fact, but don't you think it would be a little weird considering the fact that I am who I am and you are who you are. I didn't think your parents approved of non-Purebloods in the house."

Draco slammed his cloth down. "Why do you care what they think in the first place! I thought you were above that all. You blew me off in school, like everything I said meant nothing to you, so why not now? I thought you didn't let the attitude of other people affect you. Or am I wrong? Has my image of you been seriously wrong all these years?"

Hermione felt like she couldn't move. She glared intensely at him-directly into his silver eyes. "Do you honestly think that what you have done to me hasn't affected me? You must be on something to think that. I have hated you since day one because of what you have said to me. Of course it affects me. It hurts knowing that I will never be good enough because I don't come from the wizarding community. It hurts that every time I do something right I am put down simply because one person thinks that my blood is dirty. I hate to inflate your ego anymore, but yes, I have been hurt by the things you have said to me."

She turned away from him. She could feel the color rising up into her cheeks as he stared at her, open mouthed.

"Look, Hermione, I'm—I'm sorry. I didn't know that it was that bad on you," he said softly.

She shook her head. "Not like it matters. I'm virtually invisible anyway. Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be the best time. Ask me again sometime. I may reconsider. Right now I think we just need to work out issues inside our own minds before we try to help someone else."

He nodded, and shortly. "Yeah, maybe that is best. I wasn't really thinking anyway. Of course it would be awkward if you came over."

Hermione smiled sadly. "It shouldn't have to be this way. We're both humans and we should be able to talk and hang out when we please, but this is reality. Things are only perfect in fantasy worlds."

"There is no such thing as perfect--not even in dream-lands, no matter how much we want it to be. There is always a bad guy."

This conversation seemed quite strange to both teens. Neither of them spoke as they finished locking up. Before they were both about to apparate to their separate residences, Draco walked over to Hermione, and whispered, "I'm sorry," in her ear. And with a _crack!_ he was gone.

That night, Hermione seldom spoke. Her mind was on what was going on with Draco. It didn't seem right that he would be apologizing to her. And for what? He never specifically stated. This wasn't supposed to happen. Whatever happened to being enemies? Since they started working together they seemed to be almost friends. To the rational part of Hermione's brain that didn't seem right. Maybe she'd talk to him and ask him about it sometime.

As the summer progressed, Hermione and Draco grew increasingly fonder of spending time together, even if it was only at the bookstore. They were able to hold intelligent conversations as well as joke around with each other. There was not once a negative comment. It was evident that they both saw each other in a new light.

In the middle of August, the Hogwarts letters arrived. When Hermione read hers, she began jumping up and down excitedly. "I got Head Girl!" she announced, holding up her badge.

"Nice going," Ron and Harry congratulated, giving her a big hug.

"So, who's Head Boy?" Ron asked her.

Hermione glanced down at the letter quickly. "Oh, they don't say. I guess I'll find out soon enough."

Mrs. Weasley made her way over to the trio. She gave Hermione a hug. "Congratulations, Hermione, dear. I knew you would do it. You are the brightest after all. Now the three of you, give me your supply lists. I will go down to Diagon Alley and get you your supplies. You enjoy the day."

Harry and Ron made their way outside to play Quidditch. When they asked Hermione if she was coming, she declined, telling them that she had to go to work. She actually had the day off, but she was hoping that she would get a chance to talk to Draco to tell him the good news and see if he was Head Boy.

Draco was sitting in his room, listening to music when his Hogwarts letter arrived. His parents were going to be away for the week on "business." That usually meant one of two things—either they wanted a more "romantic" scene or they were doing something for the Dark Lord.

Since Draco had started working with Hermione, he hardly thought about becoming a Death Eater at all, which was weird because before that, joining his father was all he could think about.

Hermione somehow made him realize that maybe it wasn't what he really wanted.

As he tore open his letter, a badge fell out onto his bed. He knew right away what it meant, and he grinned. He knew that Hermione had received Head Girl. There was no one else who would. Hoping that she would be down at the Flowing Fountain, he summoned a house elf to get all his supplies then apparated down to the bookstore.

As soon as he got there, he spotted Hermione in a chair, reading. He rolled his eyes as he laughed to himself. Quietly, he snuck behind her and covered her eyes with his hands.

She jumped and gave a small squeal. "Draco! What are you doing?"

Defeated he dropped his hands and sat in the chair opposite Hermione. "How'd you know it was me?" he asked, grinning.

She rolled her eyes and placed the book on the table. "Well who else would it be?"

He just shrugged. "So, Head Girl, do you know who Head Boy is?"

"No, and are you just assuming that I am Head Girl?"

"Of course. I know you are, and I know who Head Boy is," he said smugly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That means it must be you!" Hermione replied excitedly, jumping up and hugging him. In the process, she fell onto his lap and just held him tighter.

Draco grinned as he wrapped his arms around her as well. "Wow, Hermione, I thought you'd be excited, but I didn't know you wanted me. That is very touching."

She didn't get up, but made herself more comfortable and stated, "Well did I ever say I didn't want you?"

Draco's eyes nearly popped out of his head when she said this. He hoped she was being serious and that she would rather be with him rather than Scar-head or Weasel. Quickly, he regained his composure and smirked. "So you do want me then?"

Hermione blushed a bit and looked away from him. She had never meant to tell him that because she knew that he would just make fun of her and tell her that she never even had a chance with him.

"Look at me," Draco demanded. She turned her head slightly. His face had changed from one of mirth to one of total seriousness. For the first time all summer, she felt very uncomfortable being around him. "Do you want me, Hermione?" She gave a small nod and looked away again. "Look at me!" Again, she faced him. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Hermione." She still said nothing so he leaned close and whispered in her ear, "I want you too."

Before she had the chance to respond, his lips were over hers. The kiss was short but passionate. When they came apart, they just looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever.

Hermione broke the silence. "That was my first kiss," she admitted sheepishly.

"Mine too." It was Draco's turn to look away.

"You have got to be kidding! All the girls at school and you have never kissed one of them. I mean, they all drool over you."

Draco shrugged. "I was just never interested in any of them. They're all fake, but you—you're real. You know what you want in life. You're not just looking to get laid. You're honest and beautiful and smart and you can take a joke. You're not like the other girls, Hermione, and I like that about you."

Hermione was touched. She felt like she couldn't breathe. "How long have you thought that?" she asked.

"Honestly, only since we started working here. I never really took the time to notice you before that and I'm sorry I haven't. A lot of things have changed for me since we got to know each other."

Hermione nodded. She knew that her story was along those lines.

"Hermione?"

"Yeah, Draco?"

"There is no one home at the Manor right now, and I was thinking, well wondering if you wanted to well—come er well if you wanted to come over and we could—we could be alone there and….stuff," he finished lamely.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Of course I'll come over."

Neither of them knew what they were going to do there, but they apparated to Draco's room nonetheless.


	3. It Will Never Be The Same

Chapter 3- It Will Never Be The Same

Once they were in Draco's room, they looked at each other uncomfortably. Finally, Draco took Hermione's hands and sat with her on the edge of the bed.

"We won't do anything you're uncomfortable with, which at this point seems like everything."

Hermione gave him a nervous smile then leaned forward and caught his lips in a kiss. It was just as passionate as the first, but this one lasted a lot longer. She slid her tongue into his mouth and started exploring every inch of it. He did the same and started to kiss her harder. Their tongues were battling for dominance. When they broke apart it was from lack of air. They were both breathing heavily.

All of a sudden, Hermione did something that was most unexpected. She pulled off her shirt to reveal a nice-sized chest covered in a black bra and a flat stomach. Draco blushed at seeing her. He thought she was beautiful.

"Draco," she whispered, "I want you to take my virginity."

He gaped at her. There was no way this was the same innocent girl he went to school with. "Are—are you sure?" She nodded. "Once we do it, things won't be the same."

"I know."

He wasn't quite sure she did know. Malfoys were only allowed to be with one girl. They were not allowed to fuck around with anyone. The first girl they took would be the only girl they would have for the rest of their lives. He wasn't about to tell her though. He could live with having only Hermione forever.

He laid her back on the bed so that her head was on the pillows and started kissing her again. His hands made their way around her back and he unclasped her bra. As he tossed it away, he started kissing and sucking on her neck. She grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing a toned body. He began to suck on one breast while massaging the other. She gave a moan of pleasure then he switched.

She pulled him back up to her to kiss him again. All she wanted to do was kiss him. He was so intoxicating. Slowly, Draco's hands made their way down her body to her pants. He unbuttoned them and pulled them off her slowly then did the same to his own. She was left in her red panties and he in black boxers.

"Hermione, are you absolutely sure about this?" he asked once more before sliding her panties off.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life, Draco."

He nodded and pulled them off as she took pushed his boxers down his legs.

Slowly, he moved inside her. She cried out from the pain and he stopped. "No, Draco, I want this. Please do it." He continued to slide into her and she shut her eyes tightly. Once he was all the way in he stopped again so she could adjust. She looked up at him and kissed him lightly and he took this as his cue.

Gently, he began to thrust in and out of her, building up tension between them. Hermione moaned for him to go harder and he obliged. Her body was moving in rhythm with his. As the pace quickened, so did the pleasure. Hermione was moaning his name and Draco hers. Her hands raked across his back, leaving scratches that he was sure would be there for a while, but he liked it. His hands were everywhere, feeling every part of her body. He could feel himself getting close.

"Hermione," he moaned, "I'm coming."

She arched her back up into him and sent him over the edge. He came inside her, both of the screaming out each other's name. He collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily.

"Draco?" He looked up into her brown eyes. "I think I love you."

He smiled at her. "I love you too."

For hours, they just laid there, holding each other. When it started to get dark, Hermione sat up, scaring Draco. "What the matter?" he asked, worried.

"I have to get back to the Burrow. They're going to be wondering where I was all day. Draco, I'm sorry," she said as she started to gather he clothes and put them on. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," he replied sadly.

Once she had her clothes on, she gave Draco a hug and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you," he responded and with a _crack!_ she was gone.

The next day at work, Hermione didn't look up at him. The previous day, she felt like she wasn't herself. She never thought that she would give herself so willingly to a person like she had. It wasn't like her to be so open about such things. Her personality was that of a bookworm, not a slut, and now she wondered if that was what Draco thought of her.

Most of the day, Draco had been trying to get a conversation going, but her replies were usually just a nod of the head or a "yes" or "no." Finally he got so annoyed and just burst. "What the hell is wrong with you!" he asked, frustrated. "Did yesterday mean nothing to you? Did you just wanna get laid because you were sexually frustrated? Did what I said to you mean nothing?" he finished, his voice filled with a combination of hurt and anger.

Hermione managed to look up at him. "Of course it meant something, Draco. It meant everything to me. Look, can we talk about this later. There are customers and they don't need to hear about our personal lives."

Sighing angrily, Draco tended to the next customer. It was a relatively slow day, and Draco knew that Hermione was avoiding the topic.

When he was sure no one was listening, he turned to face her. "So what is it then? What's wrong with you? Why are you ignoring me?"

She shrugged and pretended to be interested in something on the counter.

"Hermione, please?" he begged. "If I did something wrong, let me know. I don't want to hurt you. Did I hurt you yesterday? I'm sorry. I didn't want to."

Hermione gave him a small smile. "Would you quit your rambling already? You didn't hurt me. Coming here today just scared me a little 'cause I didn't know what you would think about me after yesterday. I'm the bookworm, you know. I'm not supposed to throw myself on guys and I honestly never had until yesterday. I don't know what possessed me to do that. It just feels weird."

He took her chin in his hand and forced her to look into his eyes. "When I told you yesterday that I love you, I wasn't lying. Honestly, I do."

"I know you do," she replied. "And I love you, but no one will understand. Look at who we are, Draco. Look at our past and our friends and our families. We are so different in so many ways and so alike in others. No one will accept this. No one."

He stared down at her intently. "I accept it and I hope you do too because if you don't then I have a real problem."

She looked up at him with a perplexed expression. He hadn't told her about Malfoys being allowed only one woman in their lifetime, so he decided that was the time to tell her. Her eyes widened in shock; the shock turned to happiness; and the happiness to worry.

"What will your father do when he finds out?"

He shrugged. "Get really mad. Get really drunk. Get really stupid. Tell me I'm stupid. Try to hurt me. Fail. Or something like that."

Hermione frowned. Listening to Draco talk so casually about the crazy things his father did scared her a little. No one should be treated that way.

"Don't look at me like that," Draco demanded. "I do not wish to be pitied. My father may be a jackass, but I live with it. I don't want you to worry about me. You have other things in your life that are more important right now. He won't do anything too harsh, so don't feel too bad."

She looked down and sighed. She just wanted to be there for him, not pity him, but he obviously couldn't read minds.

Draco leaned on the counter and looked out into the empty store. "Well going back to school should prove to be interesting," he joked.

"That's not even funny, Draco," Hermione scolded. "You know I'm already insecure about all this. I don't want to get hurt and I don't want you getting hurt, which means we can't tell anyone we're together. This whole thing _has_ to be kept a secret for our own safety."

Draco glared into her brown eyes. "Why do you fucking care so much! Why the hell can't anyone know? Because you're scared of ruining your precious Gryffindor, know-it-all reputation? You shouldn't give a damn, Hermione! There is more out there than the opinion of our peers. You say you love me and now you don't even act like it! What the hell is wrong with you? Do you even know what you want with me?"

Hermione threw her arms up in the air. "You're impossible!" she whispered harshly. "I told you not ten minutes ago that yesterday meant everything to me. I want to be with you but I'm afraid for our safety, not my reputation. And as for what is wrong with me, I don't believe there is anything wrong! I'm just trying to be rational here! You know I love you."

He sighed. "Yeah, rational. That's a word that doesn't show up very often in my vocabulary." He laughed awkwardly. "Sorry I kinda exploded. I guess I just want to tell everyone that you're the only girl out there for me and it's a bit hard keeping something so wonderful a secret from the whole world."

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry about it. We'll be able to tell everyone in due time."

The rest of the summer was almost a blur for Hermione. It consisted of work, Draco, and little time spent at the Burrow, which worried Harry and Ron. They were wondering why she would go to work so early and stay so late. When they questioned her about it, she simply replied that she needed the money. Keeping a secret, especially one like this was not something she liked to do to her best friends, but she knew how they would react, so she kept it to herself.

In all honesty, she thought that this was the best summer she'd ever had, and she didn't want it to end. Once they were back in school, it would be harder for her to see Draco, and it would be more likely that someone would find out. The last thing she wanted to do was to break up with him before school started, but she didn't know how they would keep it secret. So many times, she thought about ending it all, but then they'd talk and she realized that she was already too much in love with him to throw it all away. In his arms was where she belonged. That's where she felt safe, and she refused to give it all away because of the fact that she was scared.

Finally, it was September first and the Burrow was filled with all sorts of excitement. Mrs. Weasley was near tears because it was her youngest son's last year at the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry. She knew that once the year was over, he'd be leaving her for bigger and better things. There were hugs and tears all around. It was obvious that Mr. Weasley was doing his best not to shed any tears before he left with Ginny. Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be apparating, so they would be able to leave later.

Once they were at King's Cross Station, Harry and Ron found a compartment with Ginny. Hermione would have sat with them, but as Head Girl, she needed to sit in the Head's Compartment with the Head Boy. Draco was already there when she arrived. He was lounging comfortably in his seat, staring at the door, as if awaiting her arrival.

The compartment was pretty luxurious. There were two benches, both with squishy cushions. In the middle of the compartment was a cart with filled with butterbeer and different kinds of sweets.

Draco stood when Hermione entered and wrapped his arms around her. "What took you so long? Scarhead and Weasel?" he asked.

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "No," she replied, "I just wanted to keep you waiting 'cause I know how you love it so much."

"Hm, I see how it is then." He let go of her and plopped down onto one of the benches and looked sadly out the window with his arms folded across his chest.

Hermione sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He looked up into her eyes, but didn't change his expression or move from the position he was sitting in. "You know that I'm just joking. I would never mean to keep you waiting. I'd do anything for you." He still didn't respond, so she leant down and started to kiss and bite on his neck. Finally, he slid his hands up her legs and moaned softly."

They separated when there was a knock on the door. Hermione went to sit down on the other bench and Draco cleared his throat then called for the unwanted visitor to enter. "Hello, children," greeted Professor Dumbledore. "It's so lovely to see you both. How are you today?"

"Great," they answered together.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" he said happily. "Well, I'm only here shortly. I just wanted to see how you were and to tell you that as the Heads of the school, I expect you to get along with each other and that there will be next to know arguments unless it is something constructive that could help on a project for the school."

Both Draco and Hermione nodded.

"I can assure you, sir," Hermione started, "that there will be no fighting between us this year. We have learned how to be civil toward one another."

"Spectacular!" he clapped his hands together. "I can see that my work here is already done for me. I shall see the two of you tonight at the feast. Enjoy your trip."


End file.
